So…why would anyone voluntarily attend a seminar on Administration and Book-keeping in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy? Even the lecturer was surprised by the turnout. Standing room only at Victoria University. The workshop was very fascinating and a useful look at the origins of the double entry system of book-keeping. Dr. Mauro Carboni gave an enthusiastic and extremely step-by-step and logical look at the financial records of the Monte di Peita of Bologna. As it turns out when you say business terms in Italian they sound much more exotic. Partitorum (Minute Book), Vademecum (Administrator), Priore (Chairman), Economo (Chief Administrator), Compioneri (Chief Bookkeeper), Quaderni di cassa (Daybook). Aren’t these great? Seriously, the rationale for development of the elabourate system of financial records that we are so familiar with today wasn’t always so common. This short workshop provided some remarkable insight on the need to stem rampant embezzlement and provide businessmen with the ability to immediately be able to determine the financial health of their enterprises.
